Rotary engine



UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

SAMUEL D. LOUNT, OF SUMMERVILLE, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,929', dated May 10, 1859'.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, SAML. D. LoUN'r, of Summerville, in the county of Cass and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine and Pump; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a vertical section of my invention taken in the line w, Fig. 2. Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same taken in the line y, y, Fig. l. Fig. 3, a detached section of the rotary head and pistons, taken in the line y', y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a detached section of the head, with the pistons removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severa-l figures.

This invention consists in a novel arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter shown and described, whereby a very efficient implement isobtained for the desired purpose.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a cylindrical case, which may be attached to any proper base or support B. C, is a chest, on the upper part of the case A, said chest being provided with a rotating valve D, by adjusting which, an induction pipe E, is made to communicate with passage F, or Gr, which are connected with the case A, and communicate with it at a, Z2, as shown clearly in Fig. l. H, is an exhaust or eduction passage in the lower part of the chest C, with which passage either passage F, or G, communicates when the other is in communication with the induction pipe E. This arrangement of valve is well known and therefore does not require a minute description.

Within the cylindrical caseA, a cylindrical head I, is placed eccentrically but not in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder A. This head is placed on a suitable shaft J. one end of which extends through a side of the case and has a pulley K, or a gear wheel thereon. The head I, has gour radial slots ax, made in it, to receive each a piston L, the inner ends of which are provided with shanks bx, which are fitted in mortises in the shaft. The pistons are placed equidistant from each other, and the ends of the shanks b, of two opposite pistons bear against each other through the medium of a spring c, see Fig. 3. The springs c, keep the pistons outward against the inner side of the cylinder A.

At each side of the head I, a circular recessv (l, is made, both of these recesses are clearly shown in Fig. 2. In each side of the head I, an annular groove c, is made to receive packing 7, and a communicationis formed between the recesses d, and grooves c, by means of passages g. Each piston L, has a packing 7L, fitted in its sides, grooves z', being made to receive the packing and a space allowed between the inner side of the packing L, and the bottom of the grooves which receive it. One of the recesses d, communicates by means of a tube j, with the pipe E, at a point near the chest C. The ends of the pistons L do not bear directly against the inner side of the cylinder A. Saddles M, are employed. These saddles have concave inner sides or surfaces into which the ends of the pistons fit and the outer surfaces of the saddles are made conveX corresponding-to the curvature of the inner side of the case.

The pistons L, are so arranged relatively with the orifices a, b, of the passages F, G, that one piston will always be between'said passages on each side of the engine that is to say, one will enter the space between as the other leaves it.

The operation of the device will be readily seen. Suppose for instance that it is used as a steam engine. The steam passes into chest D, through E, and down the passages Gr, and through the orifice and acts against the pistons L, the saddles M, of which are made to work snugly against the inner side of the case A, by means of the springs c. The steam exhausts through the passages F, and H, and the steam as it passes through b, acts against two pistons as it passes directly between two pistons, but the principal pressure is exerted against the lower piston on account of its having a greater exposed surface. It will be seen therefore that no abutment as ordinarily used is required, as the pistons L, perform such oliice and consequently the usual embarrassment attending the wear and consequent leakage of the same is avoided. When the device is used as an ordinary engine, the .orifice is equal in area to a, and the steam acts with its direct force only, but by diminishing the capacity of b, and inserting one or more valves N, O, therein, as shown in Fig. l, the steam may be used expansively, for bytclosing one or more of those valves the steam willV be cutV 0E from the working piston, when the one behind it passes the last opening which is not closed by its valve, and the forward piston presenting a greater area to the actiOn of the steam than the one behind it, will of course be forced ahead by the expansion of the steam until both the pistons aforesaid present an equal surface, at which time the forward piston will have arrived at the discharge orifice a, and the steam exhausts, and at the same time the after piston will be driven by the direct action of the steam until the steam is cut off from it, by the one behind and the same result as before described will ensue.

The pistons L, and head I, are made to work steam tight by the action of the steam itself. This is effected as followsz-Steam enters the recess d, through the tube j, and passes behind the packing f, in the groove e, through the passages g, the steam forcing the packing f, steam tight against the sides of the case A, the steam passes from one recess d, to the other, through passages f', shownv in Fig. 4, and its action is the same at both sides of the head. The steam from d, d, also passes into the grooves i, in the sides of the pistons and keeps the packing L, steam tight against the sides of the case A. See Fig. 3. One of the valves, the lower one O, should be allowed to slide up on its stein, and it may have a spiral spring cl, around its stein, so that when the engine is reversed, said valve may open and allow the steam to exhaustl The saddles M, prevent` steam from escaping at the outer ends of the packing n, and they also insure the pistons working steam tight within the cyl- Yinder.

When the implement is used as a pump, power is applied to shaft J, and the pistons instead of being acted upon, serve to prov duce a vacuum in the case and draw the water therein and force it therefrom. This invention (is like most rotary engines, nearly all of them being capable of being used either as pumps or engines. When used as a pump water acts on the packing instead of steam.

I do not claim separately and irrespective ofarrangelnent any of the within described parts, but I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The arrangement and combination of the rotating head I, provided with sliding pistons and placed eccentrically within `the case A, the saddlesM, applied to the pistons, and the valves N, O, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

SAML. D. LOUNT. 

